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69 SOUTH
Deadly Wrong Way: The Judy Kirby Tragedy
A white Pontiac Firebird speeds northbound in the southbound lanes of State Road 67 at nearly 100 mph, T-tops removed, blonde hair blowing in the wind. Inside, four children clutch whatever they can as witnesses report them screaming. The driver, 32-year-old Judy Kirby, appears eerily calm, "stoic" and "on a mission" according to those who swerved to avoid her.
What drives a mother of ten to commit an act that would claim seven lives, including three of her own children, her nephew celebrating his 10th birthday, and a father with his two teenagers in an oncoming van? Was it the postpartum depression diagnosed just months after giving birth to her youngest child? The paranoia that federal agents were watching her? Or was it something more deliberate – a calculated decision that would lead to one of the longest prison sentences in Indiana history?
We explore the devastating crash that shook Martinsville, Indiana on March 25, 2000, examining the evidence that led prosecutors to charge Judy with seven counts of murder rather than manslaughter. The haunting timeline reveals a woman who drove at lethal speeds for nearly two miles in the wrong direction, passing multiple opportunities to correct course, moments after calmly purchasing candy bars at a gas station for the children who would perish minutes later.
Beyond the courtroom drama and 215-year sentence that followed, we delve into the lasting trauma experienced by survivors, including Louise Reel Casari who lost her husband and two children in the crash. "For the survivor, it is never really over," she reflects. "You just tuck it away and continue with life." Two decades later, seven crosses still stand at the crash site – silent sentinels marking lives cut tragically short and forcing us to confront difficult questions about mental health, accountability, and justice when unthinkable tragedy strikes.
Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/69south for early episode releases, exclusive bonus content, and access to legal documents that deepen your understanding of this complex case.
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Disclaimer: All defendants are INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY in a court of law. All facts are alleged until a conviction!
Welcome everyone to Podcast 69 South, where we cuss and discuss true crime, cold cases, current events and hot topics, along with our state of society today. This is your trigger warning. Our podcast content is produced for adult listeners, 18 years of age and older. We discuss situations that may be offensive and triggering to some listeners. Sit back, relax and enjoy.
Speaker 2:A woman who was sentenced to more than 200 years in prison for killing seven people, including six children, returns to a Morgan County courtroom. Judy Kirby wants a new trial more than a decade now after she caused that deadly crash. Our Eyewitness News reporter, rich Van Wyk, went to Martinsville for Kirby's latest court hearing today.
Speaker 3:It will likely be months before Judy Kirby and her victims know whether she will get a new trial. Her first trial ended with a guilty verdict and 215 years in prison.
Speaker 1:Welcome back everybody to 69 South. We are so glad you're back with us listening to our dark crime stories. I am Chop your host, and with me always is my beautiful co-host, julie.
Speaker 4:I'm good and I'm here to help unravel the stories that haunt us. Today we're diving into a heartbreaking case from Morgan County, indiana, the story of Judy D Kirby. On March 25, 2000, a single moment changed countless lives, leaving a trail of loss and questions. This story begins at 4.57 pm on a quiet evening at the intersection of Pumpkin Vine Hill Road and State Road 67, just north of Martinsville, indiana. If you're not from around here, it's a small town, the kind of place where neighbors know each other and life moves at a steady pace. By a horrific head-on collision between two vehicles, a white 1989 Pontiac Formula and a blue 1994 Plymouth van the impact was catastrophic, reducing both vehicles to mangled wrecks and leaving emergency responders with a scene they'd never forget.
Speaker 1:In the Pontiac we find Judy D Kirby, a 32-year-old mother of 10,. Behind the wheel With her were her four children her sons Johnny, 9, and Jacob, 5, and her daughter Jordan, who was 12 years old, and also her nephew Jeremy Young, 10, who was also celebrating his birthday that day. Tragically, all four children perished in that crash. Their lives cut short in an instant. Judy survived, but her injuries were severe and she was rushed to Methodist Hospital in that crash. Their lives cut short in an instant. Judy survived, but her injuries were severe and she was rushed to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
Speaker 1:I saw some of the wreckage of this actually from a good little distance. I was actually coming down southbound on Highway 67 that day and I saw lifeline helicopters flying into that area and probably I don't know maybe 20 or 30 cars in front of me was the wreckage, but people were crossing the highway and going the other way and it was. I mean you could just tell something bad happened. I had no idea that it was this bad. I mean you couldn't tell what the vehicles were from my vantage point.
Speaker 4:Wow, that's crazy that you've seen it. I remember it happened. My vantage point Wow, that's crazy that you've seen it. I remember it happened. I think I was a junior in high school or something like that whenever it happened, but I remember the news about it. It was crazy. Now, in the Plymouth van driven by Thomas M Reel, a 40-year-old truck driver and co-founder of Seedline Christian Ministries, the loss was equally devastating. Thomas, his daughter Jessica 14, and son Bradley 13, were killed on impact. A passenger, 13-year-old Richard Miller, survived but sustained life-altering injuries, including a compound shoulder fracture, a broken femur and multiple internal traumas. He, too, was taken to Methodist Hospital, listed in serious but stable condition.
Speaker 1:Now the scale of this tragedy seven lives lost, six of them children, sent shockwaves through Martinsville and beyond, emergency workers, hardened by the years of service, later admitting to having nightmares about the scene. The crash site, just north of Wilbur Road on State Road 67, became a somber landmark, marked by seven crosses that stand to this day as a memorial to the lives lost. Yeah, you can still see the crosses there. They are still there. I'll tell you what. They are still there. I'll tell you what. When they say it was four children and Judy Kirby, in that little Pontiac formula, it's like a Firebird formula. They're not very big on the inside. I mean the front seat usually has two bucket seats with a lift-up console in the middle of them. I had an 84 Firebird. There's no reason, I know this. And the back seat is barely big enough for.
Speaker 4:Is it like two bucket seats?
Speaker 1:Absolutely yes.
Speaker 4:Where nothing can really fit in the middle. Yeah, it's like only for four people.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Four people at best safely.
Speaker 4:Wow, and there was four kids and Judy Kirby in there, right.
Speaker 1:So she had three kids squashed in the back, which is a tight fit especially for a little bit older kids.
Speaker 4:Wow, I bet they were scared to death. Almost immediately, the Morgan County Sheriff's Department launched an exhaustive investigation led by Deputy Scott Hamilton. The evidence was chilling. Judy's Pontiac had been traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of State Road 67, a divided highway, at speeds estimated between 60 and 100 miles per hour. Witnesses reported no signs of braking or attempts to correct her course. The collision with Thomas Reel's van was head-on, with a force that left little chance of survival. Hamilton, along with coroner Brian Ringer and prosecutor Monte Kivitt, worked through the night meeting at Costin's Funeral Chapel at 2.15 am to piece together the events leading to this disaster.
Speaker 1:The investigation pointed to Judy as the catalyst for the tragedy. The investigation pointed to Judy as the catalyst for the tragedy. On April 14, 2000, hamilton filed an affidavit requesting for an arrest warrant charging Judy with seven counts of murder four counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated battery. The question wasn't what just happened, but why. Was this a tragic accident, a moment of mental collapse or something way more deliberate? To understand, we need to step into Judy's world and the hours leading up to the crash.
Speaker 4:Now, judy Kirby was a complex figure, a mother of eight biological children and two adopted, navigating a life marked by personal struggles and fractured relationships. Born in 1968, she had been married to Victor Kirby, with whom she shared five children, including Jordan, joni and Jacob, who died in the crash. After their divorce, judy began a relationship with Tenny Kirby, father to her younger children, including Joshua, justin and Michael. Her nephew, jeremy Young, who she had taken under her care, was also part of her extended family and she looked after them for her sister, linda.
Speaker 1:You might notice that the children and the first two guys had the same last name, and that's because Tenny was actually Victor's uncle. Now, on March 25th in 2000, the day of the crash, Judy's actions seemed routine. At first. It was Jeremy's 10th birthday and she was determined to make it special. At 11 30 am she left her south side Indianapolis home in her Pontiac Firebird with Jeremy in tow, heading to her sister Janetta Scott's house in Acton to pick up Jordan, Joni and Jacob. By noon she arrived and around 2 pm she left with all four children planning to visit Toys R Us in Greenwood to buy a birthday gift for Jeremy. Janetta followed in her own car but lost track of Judy when she stopped in traffic on Southport Road around 2.30 pm. Unable to find her, Janetta returned home unaware of the tragedy unfolding.
Speaker 4:Now, judy's behavior that day raised red flags. Witnesses described her as erratic, driving at high speeds and weaving through traffic. Witnesses described her as erratic, driving at high speeds and weaving through traffic. Between 3 and 3.30 pm a man working in his yard on Ralston Road saw Judy stop her car briefly in front of his house, appearing disoriented. Now, at Valleybrook Mobile Home Park, about 40 minutes before the crash, resident Dan Owen saw her driving slowly, seemingly lost and unresponsive. And then there were two more witnesses. They reported seeing her at an intersection accepting a cordless phone from someone holding up traffic as if in a daze there was a couple different weird things that actually happened up in that trailer park.
Speaker 1:Where the guy said she seemed dazed, witnesses said that she had pulled up. They were having a baby shower at a clubhouse and they saw the white Pontiac pull up and they asked her hey, can we help you? Because nobody at the baby shower knew who she was or any of the children. At first I guess they thought she might have been one of the guests that they invited, that didn't show up or whatever, and they was asking her questions and all she said was she was looking to find a birthday party or she needed a birthday party. So they thought that she had the wrong clubhouse and they give her directions to the other clubhouse in the mobile home park and then she drove off and that was the last they heard from her there.
Speaker 1:That was the last they saw of her. Yeah, wow, her sister was following her and kind of wanting to make sure she was all right. I guess they were having conversations about this, that and the other. Her sister said that she had told Judy to take a shower and the police had asked her in an interview why did you tell her to take a shower? And she was like, well, just kind of change the subject and get her mind off things. Her sister was following her in her car and they had went to the car wash and after they left the car wash they come up to an intersection and her sister, janetta, actually thought Judy was having car problems and could, because she just paused, like in an intersection, and she had drove around her like she was in a daze.
Speaker 1:Yeah exactly Like you said drove around her and then, when her sister drove around her, Judy Kirby took off and basically just lost her.
Speaker 4:And she didn't see her anymore after that.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 4:She couldn't find her. I think she went to, drove to a few different department stores and ended up at the Walmart and she was gone.
Speaker 1:Her sister had said she was just following her to make sure she made it home safely, so obviously she was a little bit worried.
Speaker 4:Something was going on.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Now. The final moments before the crash were harrowing. Witnesses along State Road 67 painted a consistent picture of Judy's Pontiac speeding northbound in the southbound lanes, ignoring the wrong way signs and median turnarounds. Steve Porter, stacking wood near his home, heard an unusual engine noise and saw Judy's car veer into oncoming traffic, striking Rill's van with explosive force. Eva Wrangler, a passenger in another vehicle, described the Pontiac as flying up the exit ramp packed with children. Amy Davis, traveling with Wrangler, had to swerve to avoid a collision narrowing, escaping disaster.
Speaker 4:I bet what she means by that exit ramp is there's like a little pull-off section right before you get to where you can go into Lake Edgewood.
Speaker 1:Absolutely yes.
Speaker 4:And it's not really an exit ramp but it's a piece of shoulder you can pull off onto and that's like midway. That's almost to Wilbur Road, so I would say that's about halfway before the crash happened.
Speaker 1:Now we drive down this section of highway literally daily. I could only imagine coming southbound, coming home from work and seeing a Pontiac Firebird going 60 to 100 miles an hour, not veering basically anything, just like a rocket headed the wrong way down the one-way double lane highway.
Speaker 4:I couldn't even imagine it. Now, other witnesses echoed the chaos. Jerry Pearson saw the Pontiac speed passed at over 60 miles per hour. Airborne after the impact, jeff Spicer estimated Judy's speed at 55 miles per hour. Airborne after the impact, jeff spicer estimated judy's speed at 55 miles per hour or higher, noting that the explosion that followed. Now william fugate and joni kane saw the car flying at 80 to 100 miles per hour, trailing blue smoke. Becky smith and sienna shoe fit and tracy van hook described judy weaving through traffic, forcing other drivers to dodge her at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. Tracy noted a small boy in the front of the seat, possibly clutching to the dashboard in this tiny car, with Judy's blonde hair blowing in the wind as the car's T-tops were off. Wow, so just think how scary that makes it more. You have no roof over your head at all, and do cars come with T-tops anymore?
Speaker 1:I haven't seen T-tops in a long time. Now that you mentioned that, I don't think they do.
Speaker 4:I know they come with sunroofs and stuff like that, but I haven't seen T-tops on a car for years.
Speaker 1:T-tops were the shit I have to say. Could you imagine the interior of that car? I mean, she's freaking out. The witnesses are saying that she looks stoic, she's on out.
Speaker 4:The witnesses are saying that she looks stoic, she's on a mission, she's on a mission.
Speaker 1:I bet all the kids were just screaming Mommy, stop, mommy, stop, or just screaming bloody murder, it just had to be her, and it's like she didn't even hear him. She's definitely on a mission. I think some of the witnesses also said that she seemingly went for the van because it was a bigger vehicle. I mean, she was definitely. She knew what she was doing. Absolutely. She knew what she was doing. The physical evidence was equally damning.
Speaker 1:Judy's Pontiac Firebird had flew striking the Plymouth van head on Investigators Jeff Buskirk and Danny Allen, reviewed security footage from a Speedway gas station where Judy was seen pumping gas and buying candy bars just before the crash. That's kind of a haunting, mundane moment.
Speaker 4:Because that's right there, like four seconds from the crash. Once you pull out and go straight up, I mean you're there within a minute.
Speaker 1:You buy the kids candy bars and then take them on the death ride.
Speaker 4:That's nuts.
Speaker 1:Search warrants for Judy's car and blood samples were attained. Her blood tested negative for alcohol or drugs, ruling out substance abuse as a factor in the crash.
Speaker 4:That makes it even more crazy, because I mean, I'm not saying her, it just makes you think oh my gosh, this lady was not on drugs, she was not impaired chemically or anything like that, and she still did this.
Speaker 1:It's really hard to swallow.
Speaker 4:Well, judy's state of mind became a focal point for a major depressive episode with postpartum onset triggered by the birth of her youngest child. Just five months earlier, judy was prescribed Zoloft for depression and Synthroid. Claim he denied and a feared federal agents were watching her. So she was paranoid, thinking that Teenie was a federal informant. Like was she moving drugs?
Speaker 1:I've read some accounts that she was selling some pain pills up there on the south side, but Kathy Walker, another sister, had confirmed Judy's medication regimen and noted no history of alcohol abuse. However, judy's ex-husband, victor Kirby, revealed that she believed someone was watching her, a paranoia echoed by her son, justin. Victor had planned to take custody of their children that day, but couldn't explain why Judy was in Martinsville. Wow, so that really makes you think she wasn't chemically impaired.
Speaker 4:He's saying that she's a good driver and she did have a lot of kids. So her body had been pregnant for many, many years. I mean I think her youngest children was five months two, three and a half and four.
Speaker 1:That's enough to make anybody that's her youngest four Crazy.
Speaker 4:So I guarantee you that postpartum depression played a major, major role in this. And this was like at a time where a lot of women were going. This is when postpartum depression kind of became real big. You had that woman with the silly string murders that she got accused of killing her kid and I think she tried to say it was that. And then there was a few others that during that time period of 10 years it was kind of prevalent on the news.
Speaker 1:It's definitely a serious issue with women.
Speaker 4:Definitely.
Speaker 1:I'd say she probably was a pretty good driver. I'll tell you those Pontiac formulas, the formula version of those Firebirds. They had V8s in them and a lot of them had five, even six speed transmissions in them. So they were like a muscle car of that year of car.
Speaker 4:So it wasn't a little piece of shit, right, it was a, it was like a race car, you know I didn't know what these cars look like and I was like well, I gotta see what these look like so I can describe it to people. Because if I don't know what it looks like and the best way I could describe it is, like you know, it was like a flashy 1980s car where you have big hair, big bands.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 4:With the little headlights that pop up on them kind of like a. Trans Am. That's exactly what it is. It's a.
Speaker 1:Trans Am. It's exactly what it is. It's a Pontiac Formula Trans Am, if you can imagine what the car kit looked like. Remember the old show Kit. No Kit was a Pontiac Firebird, if you can imagine what the car kit looked like.
Speaker 4:Remember the old show kit? No.
Speaker 1:Kit was a Pontiac Firebird. Basically the same car had the two little headlights that opened up and closed and most of them did have T-tops on them. But the Formula versions of them were fast. They were beefed up a little bit.
Speaker 4:Wow. So attorney Marian Wunder provided critical insight into Judy's mental state. Judy was emotionally distraught. She was convinced Tenney's alleged drug activities had put her under federal surveillance. The attorney noted that Tenney had fueled Judy's fears, leading to erratic behavior. In a recorded interview, judy denied significant conflict, saying she hugged her children goodbye before heading to her sister's.
Speaker 1:Yet she admitted to frustration, stating Her medical records offered further context, need help. Her medical records offered further context. Dr Michelle R Babin-Nelson and a social worker, michael Kinney, documented Judy's March 2nd admission to St Francis for hypoventilation and suicidal thoughts, diagnosed with a depressive episode. She was released after two days against medical advice with no noted driving concerns. Her thyroid condition hyperthyroidism was suggested by her defense as a factor that could have distorted her perception of reality, but medical experts found no evidence of it impairing her driving.
Speaker 4:I do believe that that can be because she was hyper, meaning her body was producing a lot more hormones than it could have, mixed with postpartum depression. I mean, that's just like a hurricane and a tornado mixed together. That's a bad outcome.
Speaker 1:I agree that's a serious problem, and especially if you think the feds are watching you. I mean, I don't know if that was part of it. I never knew this about this story. I mean, everybody knows the story about Judy Kirby and her wrecking, but this stuff about her thinking the feds was watching her and the defense about the thyroid issue, that's news to me.
Speaker 4:The investigation culminated in a detailed affidavit by Scott Hamilton outlining Judy's route and actions. Outlining Judy's route and actions From Valleybrook to the crash site. She navigated stop signs, traffic signals and a divided highway, yet drove at lethal speeds for nearly two miles in the wrong direction. The evidence suggested a woman under immense psychological pressure, but no clear motive, whether suicide, psychosis or intent emerged. The community mourned the loss of Jordan, jacob, joni, jeremy, thomas, jessica and Bradley, while Judy faced a legal reckoning.
Speaker 1:It's like something hit her at the gas station. I mean she drove normal from the trailer park by every account that they could find.
Speaker 4:She was triggered by something that happened at the gas station, Did she? I mean, they had cell phones back then. Did she get a phone call? I?
Speaker 1:don't know, in 2000?, did she see?
Speaker 4:something at the gas station Did she see like a vehicle and she was paranoid. And then she was like, oh my God, this is it.
Speaker 1:I don't know, they had like maybe them little calculator, cell phones, I don't know the flip phones.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I got my first cell phone in 2001, and it was one of them Nokia flip phones. It was right before the Razors came out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I guess I did get mine in 98, but it was like a calculator, you know what I mean, like the Nokia flat little box phone. When I say by calculator, I mean it had the numbers like an old calculator you know what I mean.
Speaker 4:And you had the T9 texting yeah man.
Speaker 1:This tragedy set the stage for a high-profile legal battle that would captivate Morgan County and test the boundaries of justice, mental health and accountability.
Speaker 4:Let's dive into the trial of Judy Kirby and the arguments that shaped it, and the sentencing that followed the trial of Judy Kirby began on April 23, 2001 in Morgan County Superior Court, presided over by Judge Jane Spencer Craney. Due to intense media coverage in Morgan County, the jury was selected from Dearborn County to ensure impartiality, the prosecution was led by Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonega and Deputy Prosecutor Terry Ecole argued that Judy intentionally drove the wrong way on State Road 67, intending to commit suicide and take the children with her. The defense, represented by attorneys Jennifer Auger and her father Tom Jones, countered that Judy's actions were a result of a medical condition hyperthyroidism, combined with severe depression and paranoia.
Speaker 1:The trial lasted for two weeks, from April 23rd to May 10th 2001, and was a grueling affair. The prosecution called 114 witnesses, including first responders, eyewitnesses and medical experts, to build their case. Steve Porter, eva Wangler, amy Davis and others recounted Judy's reckless driving, emphasizing her high speed and failure to correct her course. Investigators presented physical evidence, including the mangled wreckage of the Pontiac and Plymouth, and security footage showing Judy's calm demeanor at the Speedway gas station just minutes before the crash.
Speaker 4:The prosecution's theory hinged on Judy's state of mind. They argued she was despondent over her breakup with Tenney and paranoid about his alleged drug activities. Former deputy prosecutor Terry Ecole testified that Judy feared Tenney might turn her in for dealing drugs, a claim unsupported by evidence but used to suggest motive. Witnesses reported Judy's emotional turmoil, including her admission to Billy Pagel that she wasn't thinking straight and her paranoia about federal surveillance, as confirmed by attorney Marion Wander.
Speaker 1:To strengthen their case, the prosecution introduced evidence of Judy's prior quote-unquote bad acts, such as her alleged involvement in drug dealing, though Jane Craney limited this to avoid prejudice. They also highlighted her hospital admission for depression and suicidal thoughts on March 2nd in 2000, noting that she left against medical advice.
Speaker 4:The defense, led by Jennifer Auger, painted a different picture. They argued that Judy was not in her right mind, suffering from untreated hyperthyroidism that caused psychosis and paranoia. Medical experts testified that her thyroid condition could distort her perception, Though they admitted no direct evidence linked it to her driving. The defense also blamed the design of State Road 67's ramp, claiming it was confusing and contributed to Judy's wrong way driving. They emphasized her lack of criminal history and her role as a devoted mother, suggesting the crash was a tragic accident, not a premeditated act.
Speaker 1:I see what they're trying to say there agitated act. I see what they're trying to say there. They're trying to say that when you turn out of that gas station, if you just automatically go left there, you're headed northbound. In the southbound lane. In the southbound lane that you really have to cross over two lanes of traffic. But I mean in the prosecution's defense, I mean you go two miles. You're passing multiple, multiple cars. They're honking, they're waving their arms at you, they're screeching their tires. She knew what she was doing.
Speaker 4:No, and if you've seen this intersection, it's not mistakable. Really it's not. If you were to pull out of the gas station at Speedway, it's a stoplight.
Speaker 1:It's definitely, and it always has been, a stoplight.
Speaker 4:And you see traffic going which way it's supposed to go.
Speaker 1:They were just trying their best to get her out of trouble.
Speaker 4:I reckon yeah they were, and it was a horrible argument.
Speaker 1:But nevertheless, judy's attorneys called witnesses to humanize her, including her sisters Janetta Scott and Kathy Walker, who described her depression and medication use. They also presented testimony from a family friend, billy Pagel, who said Judy seemed fine the night before but was visibly upset on the morning of the crash. The defense argued that Judy's mental health issues, compounded by her breakup and paranoia, overwhelmed her, leading to a monetary lapse in judgment rather than intentional murder. Sounds like they had two or three defenses there. Well, it was. Maybe it was her breakup and she was upset, or maybe it was the highway, or maybe it was their thyroid. I mean, it sounds like they were grasping at straws.
Speaker 4:I'm sure the jury saw right through that they were throwing whatever they could at the wall and seeing what would stick Now. The jury faced a daunting task determining Judy's intent. The prosecution's case rested on circumstantial evidence her speed, the distance she traveled the wrong way and her emotional state, while the defense leaned on medical and environmental factors. The courtroom was heavy with emotion.
Speaker 1:Louis Riel Casari. Thomas Riel's widow sat through the trial reliving the loss of her husband and two children. Judy's family, including her sisters Janetta Scott and Susan Reams, were devastated, grappling with the loss of four children and now Judy's conviction, the community of Martinsville still reeling from the crash. They were divided. Some saw Judy as a monster. Others saw a troubled woman who might have just needed some help.
Speaker 4:Sentencing took place on June 13, 2001,. Before Judge Jane Spencer Craney, the prosecution sought the maximum penalty, arguing that the scale of the tragedy and Judy's reckless disregard for life warranted it. Disregard for life warranted it. They cited aggravating factors, including the horrific nature of the crash, the young age of the victims and Judy's position of trust as a mother and guardian. The defense pleaded for leniency, highlighting Judy's mental health struggles, her lack of prior criminal record and the undue hardship her imprisonment would cause on her surviving children.
Speaker 1:Yeah, see that conviction and all her sentence. All the people that passed away and the other injured child in the vehicle too, I mean the surviving children of hers. I mean they paid dearly, her family paid dearly.
Speaker 4:There was so many victims that this case hurt yeah, it reached far more than just the victims of the car crash, the judge Craney.
Speaker 1:she considered both sides, weighing four aggravating circumstances the crime severity, the victim's ages, judy's position of trust and the need to uphold the seriousness of the offense against the mitigating factors, including Judy's mental health issues, the unlikelihood of the reoccurrence of the crime and the impact of her dependence. In the end, the aggravating factors prevailed. Judy was sentenced to 215 years in prison, about 30 years for each of the seven murder counts, 215 years total, with some served concurrently and 20 years for the aggravated battery to be served consecutively. The neglect charges were merged into the murder convictions.
Speaker 4:So altogether, even with everything, she got 215 years, not 235, because some run together Right. I always get consecutive and concurrent.
Speaker 1:I used to get it mixed up too, but the only way I can remember it and this is silly is if you hear of a like the Kansas City Chief, they won consecutive Super Bowls, which means back to back. I'll remember that now. So consecutive means back to back and concurrent means, and I always think of this as electricity running the same.
Speaker 4:Yeah, concurrent.
Speaker 1:Good idea, I don't know, it's kind of a weird way to think about it, but it helps me.
Speaker 4:The sentence was staggering, one of the longest in Indiana history. At the time, judy, then 33, was led from the Morgan County Courthouse to begin her term in the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. For many, the sentence brought closure, but for others it raised questions about justice and mental health. Louis Casarzi, speaking outside the courthouse, expressed mixed emotions, saying she found strength in her faith but struggled with the ongoing pain of her loss.
Speaker 1:The trial and sentencing were only the beginning of the aftermath. Judy's conviction sparked a series of legal battles and personal struggles that would unfold over the next two decades. The 2001 trial and the 215-year sentence marked a turning point, but the story didn't end there. Judy's actions, the legal fallout and the community's response shaped the years that followed, revealing the enduring scars of that fateful day, judy's conviction was upheld, but she didn't accept it quietly.
Speaker 4:In August of 2002, she appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals, raising seven issues, including claims that the trial court erred by admitting evidence of her alleged drug involvement, denying motions for a mistrial and imposing an unreasonable sentence. The defense argued that Judy's 215-year term was excessive given her mental health issues and lack of criminal history. However, the court found no errors significant enough to overturn the verdict, affirming her convictions and sentence overturned the verdict, affirming her convictions and sentence Then in January of 2003, judy's legal team took her case to the Indiana Supreme Court, hoping for a review.
Speaker 1:The justices declined to hear the appeal, closing another door. For over a decade, judy served her sentence at the Indiana's Women's Prison, her life confined to a cell. While the families of the victims grappled with their grief, louis Casari, now remarried, started a victim's outreach program, channeling her pain into helping others who had lost loved ones to tragedy. She kept in touch with survivors, finding solace in community and faith.
Speaker 4:Now, in 2014, judy resurfaced in the headlines seeking a new trial through a petition for post-conviction relief, represented by state public defender John Pinot and later, kathleen Cleary. She returned to Morgan County Superior Court on October 30, 2014, facing the same judge, jane Spencer Craney. Her new attorneys argued that her original counsel, jennifer Auger and Tom Jones, were ineffective, failing to object to evidence of her alleged drug dealing and mishandling of jury instructions. They also claimed jury misconduct in an impartial jury, alleging that the trial court abused its discretion.
Speaker 1:Here's a small news clip that we found of Louise Carsey talking and a little bit about the court hearing.
Speaker 5:In the almost 14 years since then, this is the first time Louise Real Casari has seen the woman who killed her husband, thomas, and teenage children bradley and jessica there's just no accountability and people think when they do something wrong, they can get away with it or we can find a loophole for you to get away with it. It's a bigger picture than just me. It's all the victims that you need to stay in there. You need to fight, you don't need to give up. You need to just hang in there and truth will prevail and justice will prevail.
Speaker 1:Well, I tell you, she sounds like a pretty strong woman, man. I don't think I could have said that better myself.
Speaker 4:Definitely.
Speaker 1:Poor thing lost her husband and her first two children. The hearing was emotional. Louise Casari attended seeing Judy for the first time in 14 years. She later told the Indianapolis Star when I saw her it was like seeing the same person. There was no change, there was no remorse, no sadness, no nothing. Christine Casari, louise's daughter, who was 10 at the time of the crash, also attended confronting the woman who took her father and siblings. She took my family. Christine said her words heavy with unresolved pain. The prosecution, led by Chief Deputy Prosecutor Robert Klein, countered that Judy's allegations were baseless and that her original attorneys were highly competent.
Speaker 4:On February 18, 2015,. Attorneys were highly confident. On February 18, 2015, judge Craney rejected Judy's request for a new trial ruling that her original defense was effective and that objections to evidence, such as her alleged drug activities, would not have changed the outcome. The judge also found no evidence of jury misconduct or improper instructions. Prosecutor Steve Sonega praised the decision, noting that Auger and Jones were accomplished trial lawyers who fought hard for Judy. The ruling was a victory for the victim's families, but Louise Casari felt numb, knowing the legal battle might continue, and we also have a clip from what the prosecutor had to say that day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, here's what Stephen Salinger had to say about the situation.
Speaker 5:Objectively looking at it, you'd have to conclude that the system worked, that justice was done.
Speaker 1:And I think he meant to say done instead of question would be done. I think that these kind of cut him off right there. But Judy's legal team did not stop there. In 2016, they appealed to the US Supreme Court, hoping for a review of her case. The justices declined to hear it, dealing a final blow to her hopes for a reduced sentence or a new trial by this time. Blow to her hopes for a reduced sentence or a new trial. By this time, Judy was 46 years old. Two decades into her 215-year term, she remained at the Indiana Women's Prison. She is not eligible until 2106 for parole. By then she'd be over 130 years old. So, effectively, effectively she's doing a life sentence.
Speaker 4:The aftermath of Judy's behavior extended beyond the courtroom. For her surviving children, joshua, justin, michael and others, the loss of their siblings and the mother's imprisonment was a lifelong burden. Judy's sisters, jeanetta and Susan mourn the four children they helped raise. Their grief compounded by Judy's sisters, janetta and Susan mourn the four children they helped raise. Their grief compounded by Judy's conviction. The community of Martinsville struggled to heal. Ann Lankford, a local resident, told WTHR in 2014, you didn't have to explain to them what Kirby did. She did something unforgivable. What Kirby did.
Speaker 1:She did something unforgivable. Luis Casares' life was forever altered as well. She remarried and had a daughter, but holidays and birthdays remained painful without Thomas, bradley and Jessica. In a 2014 interview with the Indianapolis Star, she said I didn't get to be with her when she was 16 or with him when he was 16. I didn't get to experience all those things. Her outreach program became a lifeline, helping her connect with others who understood her loss. Christine, now in her 20s, carried the weight of growing up without her father and her siblings, her childhood marked by the absence.
Speaker 4:The crash also left a mark on first responders and investigators. Emergency workers spoke of the psychological toll haunted by the mangled vehicles and the loss of so many young lives. Investigators like Scott Hamilton and Jeff Buskirk, who poured months into this case, carried the weight of seeking justice for the victims. The trial's intensity, with 114 witnesses and weeks of testimony, left a mark on the Morgan County legal system.
Speaker 1:Judy's case also sparked broader discussions about mental health and accountability. Her defense highlighted her untreated depression and possible thyroid issues, raising questions about whether the system failed her. Before the crash, critics argued that her hospital discharge after only two days despite suicidal thoughts was inadequate. Others, including the prosecution, insisted that mental health issues didn't excuse her actions, pointing to the deliberate nature of her driving. The debate underscored the complexities of balancing compassion with justice in cases involving mental illness.
Speaker 4:In Martinsville. The tragedy reshaped the community's sense of safety. State Road 67, once a familiar route, became synonymous with this loss. The crotches at the crash site maintained by locals like Dennis Powell stood as a silent tribute, visited by families and strangers alike. The case also prompted scrutiny of highway design, with the defense's claim about the highway confusion leading to minor safety reviews, though no major changes were implemented.
Speaker 1:Now, as of 2025, Judy Kirby remains incarcerated, now in her mid-50s, with no realistic prospect of release. Her story is a cautionary tale about the intersection of mental health, personal crisis and catastrophic decisions. For the families, the pain lingers, tempered by resilience and the determination to honor their loved ones. Louise Casari's words in 2015 capture this duality For the survivor. It is never really over. You just tuck it away and continue with life.
Speaker 4:I love that how she said that it's so, sad though it is but there's a lot of truth to that saying right there.
Speaker 1:I mean it's definitely come from her heart.
Speaker 4:Now the Judy Kirby case is a mosaic of tragedy, justice and unanswered questions. Was it a deliberate act born of despair, a medical mishap or a momentary lapse with unimaginable consequences? The truth may lie somewhere in the gray, a reminder of the fragility of life and the ripple effects of a single decision. The fragility of life and the ripple effects of a single decision.
Speaker 1:That about wraps up the story of Judy D Kirby, and it's a case that challenges us to reflect on mental health, accountability and the enduring the impact of loss. Our listeners out there, man, drop us a line on Facebook or on whatever, and let us know what you think happened that day. What's your opinion about it. I know everybody has one, because this was the talk of the town when it happened. Man, it was just everywhere. We were a long time, for the longest time. It was just horrible to think about man. It really made you think about your kids and and just being close because I mean there was like a lottery ticket, but the opposite way for Thomas and his children and Judy Kirby's children I mean it could have happened to any of us is what everybody was thinking. It kind of really did make everybody around here and in the surrounding areas. Stop and just take a minute if you know what I mean.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and in the surrounding areas.
Speaker 1:Stop and just take a minute if you know what I mean. 69 South is brought to you by our dedicated team committed to telling the stories that matter. Special thanks to our listeners for joining us on this journey. If this episode moved you, please subscribe, share and leave a review.
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Speaker 1:Until next time, have a good evening, good day, good morning, whatever, for listening and we'll catch you in the next episode. Until next time, have a good evening, good day, good morning, whatever. We'll see you next time.
